An Exercise in Life
by FatesMistake
Summary: Snape as DADA instructors gives the 7th Years an assignment to test their reactions when they have 20 seconds to live. The test is all too realistic. Can anyone manage? Throwback to You're All So Vacant, who wrote it first and gave me permission to write my own version. T to be safe.


All of the Gryffindor 7th Years that were in Defense were sat sporadically around the common room, each one staring blankly into space. All but one, that is, as Harry Potter bit into an apple while reading his favorite novel in the rare, glorious silence. Ginny Weasley approached the Man-Who-Prevailed.

"What's with them? Even Ron shooed me away when I asked if he wanted to play chess," She said sitting down.

Harry looked up and around as though just realizing his compatriots were utterly silent. "Oh…They're thinking about the homework that Professor Snape assigned us for next week."

Ginny looked at the 7th Years again. "What was the assignment, how to sit like a statue for endless amounts of time?" She asked, chuckling.

Harry chuckled, and bit into his apple again. When he'd swallowed, she was still laughing at her own wit. "No, though I can see how it would look like that. He said that sometimes you cannot defend yourself adequately in a duel or battle and can become fatally injured, so he wanted us to think of what we'd do if we had 20 seconds to live, were we attacked in the classroom. We have to think of if we were alone and if we were with a partner and they had been wounded, but not mortally. He'll assign partners on the day."

"So why aren't you thinking about it? Already decided to humiliate your partner for the benefit of the class?" Ginny teased.

Harry shook his head. "No, again. I've had the whole thing planned out since third year." He dug around in his bag and removed a file. "This file has my will, last wishes, and letters to my loved ones, et cetra. I update it every month. And the paper clip is a portkey to Dumbledore, wherever he might be at the time, that activates the exact moment my heart stops."

"How is Snape going to keep it accurate?" Ginny asked, suddenly interested.

Harry opened the file and grabbed the homework sheet from the top. "He's giving us a potion. It will give us exactly twenty seconds before putting our body in complete stasis, stopping all organ processes, for approximately five seconds, give or take a millisecond."

"Okay…so if you have to do it twice, how are you going to get the file back for the partner exercise?"

Harry pulled a second paperclip from his pocket. "Professor Dumbledore said he'd send the file back by the floo, and Professor Snape has agreed to open the network in the classroom, since it's for my assignment. The portkey can only be used once, obviously, so I made three more. Another for my assignment, one to deliver my body, and one to put on the file for its intended purpose."

Ginny nodded. "So why is he withholding the pairings until the assignment is due?"

"He wants us to think about what might happen, no matter who we're paired with. For the exercise, our partners will be our allies, but they could be anyone. Not just loved ones, friends, or housemates, but house rivals, and childhood enemies. If they're in the class, you can be paired with them. Only problem is, there's an odd number, and he's calling us at random. Basically, we're drawing names out of a hat, and no one is quite sure what he'll do with the odd man out," Harry explained, tucking all of his items, minus the parchment holding the assignment, back into their places.

Ron came over and slumped into the chair at the table beside Ginny. Hermione, Dean, Seamus, and Neville joined them as well soon after. "This is bloody hard. Bet the Greasy Git is just looking for a reason to humiliate all of us." Ron pouted.

"Don't call him that, Ron, he's trying to teach us something important. No one knows what the future holds, not even Seers can see everything," Harry said. "This is about real life."

Ron looked at him in surprise. "Sorry, Harry, I didn't realize you were so obsessed with dying," He sneered finally.

"Why is everyone taking this so seriously?" Ginny asked.

"It's half our final grade. Even if we pass our NEWTs with flying colors, this will appear on our transcripts and could keep us from pursuing any job that needs high grades in Defense," Hermione answered morosely. "Harry's right, anyway. This is about real life and part of being prepared for any outcome. Most of us are fine on thinking of something to do if we die alone, but the partner thing is a real hang up. What do we do? And we aren't allowed to collaborate, Professor Snape put spells on us so that if anyone is discussing solutions to the assignment, we can't hear what they say."

Ginny stood, taking up her bag. "Well, you have a week, so don't beat yourselves up. You'll most definitely think of something." With that, she waved goodbye.

Dean looked at Harry. "I keep worrying about if I'll be assigned to someone I don't know, or someone I don't get along with."

Ron laughed. "What if it's Malfoy?"

Hermione rolled her eyes as Dean and Seamus joined in on listing "unwanted" partners. "What do you think, Harry? Any non-solution spoiling advice for me and Neville, since you seem to have it all figured out?"

Harry shrugged, turning back to his book. "Wait and see, when you realize you really have 20 seconds to live, you'll know what to do no matter who your partner is. It's why the partner is second, because during the first round you'll drop after exactly twenty seconds, no matter what you're doing. It'll let you get a feel for what twenty seconds to live really means. No matter what anyone plans, I guarantee at least half will lose their plans and act on instinct with their partners."

Hermione shook her head. "That doesn't seem quite right, Harry. Professor Snape asked us to think about what we'd do. If we assume we'll act on instinct, then we're not really doing the assignment."

Harry sighed and lowered his book again. "Then kiss, Hermione."

She and Neville raised an eyebrow. "What if we don't like our partner that way?" Neville said uncertainly, Hermione nodding along.

Harry smacked his forehead with his book. "Kiss means to keep it simple, the last 's' is to represent the general audience you're keeping it simple for. The whole saying is Keep It Simple Stupid. Plan for something, but make sure it's flexible enough for any eventuality."

Neville nodded in understanding, but Hermione stood up. "Look, Harry, I know you respect Professor Snape more. I mean because you went to him instead of taking off on a wild goose chase, you were able to defeat Voldemort in our fifth year, and I completely understand. But just because there is an understanding between you, that doesn't mean that you know what's in his head, nor does your defeating Voldemort mean you know everything about Defense. Professor Snape told us to plan out what we would do in _both_ situations. We have to give him our plans tomorrow in class, and then do our best to carry them out next week. Why would he do that if we were just going to act on instinct? He wouldn't."

"He would if he wanted know how much thought we put into it," Harry pointed out.

Hermione huffed and let loose the newest slang word in the Muggle World. "Whatever, Harry, you're going to fail if you don't think up a real, laid out plan. When that happens, don't come running to me, I warned you."

Harry shrugged and once more buried himself in his book. She huffed and stomped off, likely to the library, leaving Neville to chew his lip nervously. "Do whatever you think is best, Neville, it's all you can do," Harry advised. The boy got up and squeezed Harry's shoulder in thanks before he too wandered off.

SSHP

Severus studied the papers on his desk. He had all weekend, technically, to look at them, but he had to admit he was curious about the answers. In any case, it was a fairly small class, so it wouldn't take a significant amount of time out of his Friday night. He pulled the first from the stack, his godson's paper.

"In the case of 20 seconds to live with only myself and my enemy present, I would send the Howler I keep on my person at all time to my father. In the case of a partner, I would get as far with them as I could before I died."

Severus shook his head, marking the paper and sending it off to Draco, reminding him that the partner wasn't to be harmed, and to perhaps keep his letter and instead send it, still sealed, to another place by whatever means he planned to use for the exercise. The note was immediately back in the stack and Severus looked at the correction, marking it as suitable and laying it to the side.

Severus continued through the stack slowly. Each member of the class seemed to have some strange, or insane ritual, several of them good ideas if the group had more than a minute to live, but very few to be done in twenty seconds. For the partner idea, they all seemed to share the idea that they should tell their partner their deepest secrets…something Severus felt unfitting considering they didn't know their partners yet, but could not interfere with as it did not harm them in any way other than humiliate them. So far, no one, not even Granger had come up with a realistic plan. The girl had laid out an obscene plan for each situation. It seemed very few of them had looked up the actual effects of the potion he was giving them.

Finally, Severus reached the bottom of the pile, and raised the last two, wondering if he should put himself through the torture of Longbottom first, or the incredibly short paper from Potter that he already knew half of. Opting for Longbottom, he laid Potter's back to the side.

"On my own, I would send my Grandmum a Patronus with the message that I loved her. If I had a partner, I would do my best to touch them and give them what little power I have so they might be capable of escape."

Severus looked at the paper in surprise. The boy had really thought it out…but he wondered if the less-than-powerful, but intelligent, student would do that for _any_ ally, not just one he was close to. He'd be sure and cast an anti-transfer spell over the boy when it came his turn, just in case. He picked up the last paper.

"If I were to die alone, I would cast any curses I might have the power for in an effort to dispatch my attacker before he could harm someone else, my file to be sent to the Headmaster no matter where it is in relation to me. If someone were with me, to see me fall, I would attach the paperclip I keep with me to transport my body to some piece of their clothing with the instructions to get help. Depending on my partner, my plans vary."

It was well put, and a simple plan, but Severus was caught in the final sentence. The boy had taken the assignment seriously, of course, but he had expected him to have a bull-headed "fool proof" plan, not plan for any eventuality as he had. The Potions Master turned Defense Professor thought about this first instinct, and realized he knew better. He'd come to learn much about who the boy was, as an individual rather than simply a student, and had long ago realized that what he'd called Foolish Gryffindor Tendencies had actually to be attributed to the boys need to constantly be on his toes and never know who to trust.

Simply to test the boy, he wrote him a note asking what he would do in the happenstance his partner refused the portkey. He waited nearly five minutes before he received the reply via the spell he'd set up.

"Professor Snape, as I said in the assignment, my plans can vary. If my partner were to refuse, I would of course either convince them or force them. Method would, again, vary dependent upon the partner. If I have twenty seconds left to live, I won't have to worry about the aftermath, so any means necessary seems sufficient enough of an answer. Please note, sir: I will be taking this assignment seriously and behave as though they really are my last twenty seconds to live." Severus read aloud.

"What do you suppose that means, dear boy?" Albus asked, walking into the room.

Severus found himself baffled. "I suppose we'll find out on Monday."

SSHP

Severus stalked along the line at the front of the class. "In this exercise, I am making an effort to make it seem realistic. As such, I have created this dummy to look like a Death Eater, as we all know there are still a few who evade capture. The dummy will behave similarly to a real attacker. I realize this may bring back traumatic memories for some," He glanced at the students he knew to have been at the Ministry when Voldemort fell, stopping on Potter. "But I can only hope that it will not, and that if it does it forces you to behave as though these were really your last twenty seconds to live. The dummy will be shooting different colored orbs at you, made to burst on impact and stain, so we may know who has paid attention in the previous defense classes where we studied battle technique, and who will actually have twenty seconds to live." Several of the students groaned, though Longbottom looked surprisingly hopeful, shooting Potter a thumbs-up. Severus guessed that Potter must have been giving the boy help in the area. He walked over to his desk, his robe billowing. "Please remember that the plans you gave me are not finite, and I expect you to adapt to the situation if it calls for it, especially concerning the partnered scenario."

He watched as Granger leaned towards the Ravenclaw Patil to whisper. "I wrote out a plan for everyone in the class, I won't have to adapt."

"Don't be so certain, Miss Granger," Snape called, startling the girl and bringing an ashamed blush to her cheeks. "Anything can happen. If you'd done the research on the potion, you'd know what it does in those twenty seconds. Does anyone know the full effects of the potion?" He moved down the line with his eyes, watching each student look ashamed or embarrassed. Finally, a hand was in the air. "Mr. Potter, please enlighten your classmates."

Harry stepped forward and looked him in the eye. "The reason the potion was created was for this exact exercise, sir, a common practice in other Wizarding communities for schools and especially for those training for battle units in the Auror corps, recently being considered by the British Wizarding Community as a final test before becoming an Auror. In the twenty seconds before it stops your heart, it slowly shuts down your body. While you still have fair function of your limbs and muscles, your organs will begin to shut down one-by-one, leaving you in excruciating pain, equal to the actual shutting down of organs. It's not as painful as being under the Cruciatus, but far more painful than a paper cut under the edge of your fingernail."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. Five points for being the only one of the students able to fully research your answer, and an additional two for the rather imaginative description." He said. "Do you have anything to add?"

Harry nodded. "In the case of those with lower pain tolerance, I recommend you don't try and fight it, as fighting any pain could be disastrous, particularly with this potion. If you have a higher tolerance for pain, you'll quickly find out what pain truly is and shouldn't fight it either, just do what you can."

"How would you know?" Weasley asked, several students nodding along.

"Because, Ron, I did the complete research. Professor Snape provided Madame Pomfrey with samples of the potion in case any of us wanted to test it under supervision before today. I tested it on Saturday…didn't you wonder where I'd disappeared to for an hour? I was recovering from the pain still when the potion wore off, because I'd tried to fight it," Harry answered, stepping back into line.

"Well done, Mr. Potter, for thinking ahead, another five points for taking the initiative to put yourself in fatal pain in an effort to prepare yourself for any eventuality. If you would be so kind, please floo Madame Pomfrey and let her know that I am beginning the lesson," Severus said, removing the disillusionment charms he'd had on the cauldrons that held the names on his desk. He turned to see Pomfrey walking through the door and the boy unmoved. He looked to the Mediwitch for an explanation.

"Mr. Potter realized that there was a chance I might not be in my office when you began. He provided me with a cuff link identical to his own. When he rubbed his between his forefinger and thumb, it made mine warm, letting me know you were beginning. It was a smashing idea, too, as I had been speaking with the Headmaster in the corridor outside of the Hospital Wing," Poppy explained.

Severus raised an eyebrow at the boy, who blushed slightly, but otherwise refused to comment. "Another five points, for preparedness in all cases. Do try not to accomplish much more this particular class, Mr. Potter, I am close to my limit for awarding Gryffindor's points without inducing an aneurysm." The brat smiled, but still remained silent. Severus addressed the class. "In these two cauldron's are everyone's names. The first will decide the picking order, and the second is charmed to have every name in the class that is not your own, to decide the partnering." He stuck his hand on the first, drawing a name. "As there are an odd number of students and I won't expect anyone to partner with themselves, my own name has been added to the second cauldron. Should my name be drawn for you as partner, I give you permission to treat me however you would in your last twenty seconds of life with no repercussions. It was brought to my attention that when one dies, there are no repercussions for the actions, so anyone who uses any information learned against their peers will be immediately suspended from the school and obliviated, is that understood?" He eyed Malfoy, who paled and shrunk slightly back, nodding furiously with the rest of the class. He raised the first slip of parchment to eye level. "Lavender Brown," Immediately, the girl stepped forward and began dueling the dummy, being hit nearly every other time. After a significant amount of time, he spelled the potion into her stomach. The girl immediately collapsed to the ground, gripping her abdomen, before passing out. When she finally rose, she was breathless, grateful when Poppy gave her a pepper-up. "Goyle, join Miss Brown."

He allowed them to greet one another before the battle began again and Lavender was pelted roughly as she tried to protect her partner. Again, he spelled the potion into her system, and again she collapsed, out cold. He sighed.

"Who here would like to save the lot of us the trouble and test a short term version of the pain you will experience with the potion, so we know who will pass out, show of hands," He announced. All of the females raised their hands, and several boys as well. "If you test the potion now, you may still participate in the exercise. If you choose not to do so, I will give you half-credit for the day, plus the quarter credit for the written assignment you turned in last Thursday." No one lowered their hands and Severus spelled each one of them with a weaker version of the potion that wouldn't shut their bodies down completely. Screams of pain rent through the air before more than a half-dozen collapsed, including Weasley and Granger. When they'd all been revived, he spoke to them. "If you wish to forfeit your participation grade, you may leave the classroom to do independent study."

All those who collapsed left quickly, except Granger, who stood stubbornly in her place in the line. He reached into the first cauldron and smirked when he read the name. "Granger."

She looked at him aghast, but moved forward. She began the duel, but seemed unable to dodge, only cast shield after shield, with no time for the offensive. He watched her begin to panic before he spelled the potion into her system. She screamed again, but managed to stay on her feet. He was glad he hadn't spelled the dummy to stop attacking when she crawled under a nearby desk, being pelted continuously by the small orbs, and tried to write out a will. Finally, she collapsed. When she got out from under the desk, she was covered in colors and crying from the pain. He called for a Ravenclaw boy by the name of Collins to join the girl on the field, and they fought together swiftly, Brown performing most of the offensive. When the potion hit once more, he rolled his eyes as Granger dramatically grabbed her partner and began telling her to tell her parents she loved them and other sentimental drivel. Mid-sentence, she fell to the ground with an awkward crunch, making Severus glad he'd thought to put softening charms on the floor.

When the two had cleared the floor, he called for Zabini, who got a lucky shot in and dispatched the dummy before the potion took effect. He began performing a bizarre ancient Italian ritual for sending the body to loved ones, but failed to finish before he hit the ground, his heart stopped. He was paired with Padma, and when the potion was in his body, he began pledging his undying love and apologizing for not having said so sooner, surprising the class and the girl. When he revived, he took the girl in his arms, smiling hopefully, but Severus forced them back in line with instructions to tell her again outside of class if he didn't want her suspended.

Finch-Fletchley, Goyle, and Collins all seemed to have needed to opt into the potion testing, as each collapsed in both situations, in too much pain to move or having fallen unconscious. They returned to their places in line with their partners, Potter, Malfoy, and Longbottom, looking properly ashamed.

"Padma Patil, you're next," The girl also managed to dispatch the dummy with a well-placed reversal charm on one of the orbs, but jumped for joy at her accomplishment so that when the potion began working, she collapsed. The class watched her struggle to rise and attempt to create a portkey out of her shirt button, but she "died" before the spell could be cast. To everyone's surprise, her sister burst into tears, and when the girl came round, the pair ran to each other, crying. It was unexpected, but interesting when Severus pulled her partner's name. "Would the second Miss Patil please join her sister on the field?"

The two girls moved into the ring, fighting ferociously, if not very effectively, together. When Padma collapsed, her sister caught her, and listened as something was whispered in her ear. When the girl "died" once more, the second girl threw such a strong blasting curse at the dummy that it was incinerated before holding her identical twin close to her and weeping. Severus pulled the next name from the cauldron, and then the pairing in confusion, but looked at the two girls; the students affected part of the spell on the pairings. The two girls would have to be capable of only seeing themselves together or dead, with no room for any idea beyond, for the pairing to appear again in the reverse. Looking at the sister's and watching them cry as Padma apologized over and over that she couldn't make the portkey to take her to her sister, Severus realized that the only explanation really was just that. With sudden insight into the connection between identical twins, he moved the new dummy out onto the platform before speaking.

"You are both excused from the exercise with full marks, for having a set plan, obviously one you would both stick with, and for being too emotionally traumatized to continue," He said finally. Both girls smiled at him gratefully and left the room.

"Malfoy, you're up," He announced to the dwindling crowd of students. Besides Malfoy, there were only two students who had yet to go, and fewer potential partners than he had expected. He spelled the potion into his godson and watched as the boy screamed before collapsing to the ground. He gathered enough strength to pull the letter he kept in his inside pocket in his robes and spell it to fly to its destination. Severus watched it land on the boy's desk and was glad his godson had taken his advice. "Potter, join Malfoy."

Harry joined the blond, and they fought side-by-side, quickly dispatching the new dummy with combined force. When Draco collapsed, Harry was still at his side, and caught him, casting a powerful shield.

"Told you I'd go first," Draco coughed, grimacing.

Harry smirked. "Always right, you big prat."

"Well, I had to win once, didn't I?" Potter nodded, tears glistening in his eyes as Draco took a shuttering breath. "Thanks for the fight, Scarhead."

"You're welcome, Ferret, see you on the other side," Harry answered as Draco's eyes closed, his heart stopped.

When they both stood, Severus watched them punch each other in the arm playfully and wondered when they'd grown up so much. Why had he not noticed that they weren't enemies anymore? When he watched the boy move back to the line with Granger whispering furiously, he realized they'd likely kept it secret from everyone, for good reason too if Granger slapping Harry and stomping out of the classroom was any indication of the response they'd get.

"Longbottom," The boy jumped and moved forward. When the dummy began to fire the orbs, the boy immediately began dodging around and trying to cast offensive spells. The spells were weak because he was lacking concentration, but Severus silently applauded the effort. After a time, he remembered to spell the potion into the boy, and watched as he gritted his teeth, but otherwise didn't react, focusing his attention on casting a corporeal Patronus. Finally, a hawk emerged from the end of his wand, and the boy gave it his message. It vanished, and the boy pulled out a mirror. In the mirror, the group watched in fascination as the hawk appeared in front of his grandmother, delivering the message in his voice, before he collapsed. Severus recognized the spell as one that connected the mirror to the eyes of a portrait, and raised the boy's grade in the research portion. "Crabbe, join," He said. He waved his wand over Longbottom, remembering the temporary non-transfer charm before letting them begin. When the boy was once more being slowly "killed" he knelt, but still managed to stay upright, gripping Crabbe's arm and speaking the transfer spell, knowing there was no danger in doing so.

When he collapsed for the second time, Crabbe stood there stupidly, and Severus docked five points off the dolts participation grade for being ill-prepared to assist his partner in their final wishes.

Finally, it was Potter's turn. Severus charmed the dummy to an advanced level of combat to supplement, and still the boy dispatched it quickly by transforming into a Raven and getting close without being hit. When he spelled the potion, he had to check the phial to be sure he'd given it to the boy as he summoned a few more stationary dummies, the boy continuing to fight to the very end. When the boy at last collapsed, his entire bag disappeared. Severus watched him get up, and then retrieved the satchel from before the fire. Whatever he'd expected from the boy, it wasn't this much. A few easy spells to hold off his attackers, not a full onslaught until death took him. He had seriously underestimated the young wizard, and the power he possessed. Not to mention his seeming inability to feel the effects of the stasis potions. He reached eagerly for the man's partner, his curiosity at how the boy would convince whomever to leave getting the better of him. When he withdrew the parchment, he was shocked.

"Mr. Potter, you are paired with me. Madame Pomfrey, spell the potion into him whenever you choose," He said, walking onto the platform. "All of you may leave the class after this final exercise, and inform your other classmates who participated that I want at least 6 inches on how and why your plans were changed. If they weren't, and I know who's weren't, then you do not have to explain yourselves unless you feel the need."

When the dummy began attacking, the boy began to move rapidly, skirting each orb and shooting powerful stunning and blasting hexes at the many replacements Severus summoned, occasionally transforming to help him shift around more swiftly. Poppy finally spelled the potion, or at least Severus thought she had. There was no pain on Harry's face, but he'd cast a wide shield around them and was moving swiftly in his direction.

He stiffened in shock when the boy grabbed him behind the neck, pulling him down and kissing him full on the mouth. He tentatively began to respond, unsure why it was happening at all, when the boy pulled back, out of reach. "Stay safe, Severus, get help." As the boy slumped to the ground, Severus felt the pull of a portkey before he was standing in the Headmaster's Office beside the boy's bag.

"I think I found out what Potter meant when he said 'any means necessary'," Severus said breathlessly.

"What's that my boy?"

"He distracted me from knowing he was attaching the paperclip to my person by kissing me, likely aware of the fact I would refuse the portkey were it a real situation," Severus told him.

"I think you should talk to Harry before you assume it was only a distraction tactic. Take his bag back with you, as well, if you please," Dumbledore answered, eyes twinkling maddeningly.

Severus recognized the look as meaning he would have to follow the Headmaster's advice if he wanted to know what in the blazing hell he was talking about, so he grabbed the boy's bag and flooed back to his classroom.

He looked around, noting that nearly all of the students had left, as well as Poppy, and Potter was helping the Elves arrange things to their usual places. When Potter spotted him, he blushed, but didn't look away. He held the boy's bag out to him, and it was grabbed, but set aside as he found himself once more being kissed by the Man-Who-Prevailed. He managed to remain unresponsive out of shock alone at the second occurrence.

"There, now we can talk about it," Harry said evenly as he drew back, sitting at one of the desks that had been replaced. Severus found himself even more confused than he had been previously.

"Why?"

"First or second?"

"Either, I just want an answer," Severus growled.

The young man had the gall to shrug and Severus swore that if he said 'seemed like the thing to do' he would strangle the brat. "Well, both are because I've been fantasizing about doing that since last year. The first was also because I knew that in a real situation, you'd refuse the portkey and get yourself killed, so I distracted you the only way I could think of with all the pain I was in. Just now…well, you told Blaise to tell Padma the truth outside of the classroom, and I wasn't sure if your being the instructor would allow you to negate the obliviation rule at the very least."

Severus shook his head, still stuck on the first part. "Do you often fantasize about kissing your teachers, Harry?"

"No, just you. And technically, since that was the last class of the semester, and you've already got our grades recorded besides this assignment, you aren't my teacher because I'm not required to write the second paper. Means the second kiss was free game," Harry said, ducking his head with a shy grin. "And anyway, why not? With you in the Defense position, Albus doesn't need me here as a professor, because I refuse to teach Potions, despite his numerous offers. This was probably the last chance I'd ever get to tell you that I think I'm falling in love. Call it foolish Gryffindor bravery that made me do it a second time, giving you license to hex me without consequence."

Severus watched as the boy morosely drew patterns with his finger on the desktop, and moved closer. He stopped before his young protégé, making the man flinch, and reached down, pulling Harry's head back with a hand in his hair. He kissed him desperately, the feeling of warmth and love flooding through his body as the boy stood and held him close.

"I'm taking my Potions back next term," Severus said when they pulled apart slightly to breathe. "Albus wanted me to find someone to fill this position, considering how often he's botched up the hiring process. I think that, for once, we will be able to agree on the man for the job."

Harry grinned and kissed him again, and Severus made note of the feeling that swam through his body to every nerve ending. Despite knowing so little about him, Severus knew he was falling in love with the Man-Who-Prevailed, all because the teen had challenged nearly all of his misconceptions in the course of a single assignment.


End file.
